Word of the Day

Telluric is an adjective that means ‘of the earth or soil.’ The Latin word tellus (TAY loose) refers to ‘the earth.’ Our word of the day is typically used to describe things that are directly composed of dirt or other basic elements. Here’s an example: One of the great joys of living on a farm is that we can create things with our bare hands that we get from the ground. Our home is decorated with...

Cordiform is an adjective that means heart-shaped. The ancient Greek word Kardia (CAR dee uh) meant ‘heart.’ After traveling through Latin and Middle English, it landed in modern English to be used in words like cardiologist, which refers to the medical specialty of hearts. The word was then combined with the suffix F-O-R-M, which means ‘shape or form’. Here’s an example of our word of the day in...

Consonance is an adjective that means agreement or compatibility between opinions. Coming from Latin, our word of the day is derived from the verb consonare (cone so NAR ay) which means ‘to agree with.’ Here’s an example of consonance in use: It’s rare to have such consonance in our home over sports. We’re so accustomed to fighting between Mets fans and Yankee fans that agreement on these things i...

Avouch is a verb that means’ to affirm or assert.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin term advocare (ad voe CAR ay) meaning ‘to summon in defense.’ In Latin, this word is often used to describe someone making a claim in a courtroom. Avouch is a broader word that may refer to statements made in or outside of the courtroom, example: When my friends avouch that my driving is bad, I tend to beli...

Kerfuffle is a noun that refers to ‘a commotion or fuss.’ As a fairly recent addition to the English language, Kerfuffle comes from Scottish and  entered our language in the mid-twentieth century. The word referred to confusion or disorder. Here’s an example of kerfuffle in use: When one of our neighbors refused to cut his grass, a brief kerfuffle ensued. This proves that in this neighborhood...

Frowzy is an adjective that means ‘scruffy and neglected in appearance.’ The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but the word is used in a context that’s never meant to be flattering whether in reference to a person or a place. Example: Inviting our parents over to the messy dorm room was always an embarrassing affair. The place was so frowzy, our guests would aghast.

Sacrosanct is an adjective that means regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin phrase sacro sanctus (SOCK row SONG toos) which means ‘hallowed by a sacred rite.’ Sacrosanct is often thought of as a synonym of sacred, but it is more likely to be used in reference to things that have nothing to do with religion, for example: Our team’...

Inspirit is a verb that means ‘to encourage’ or ‘enliven someone.’ The Latin word spiritus (SPEAR ee toos) means ‘breath or spirit.’ To inspirit someone is to breathe life or spirit into them. It’s always a big challenge to inspirit my co-workers at the office with a big pep talk on  a slow Monday. But let’s face it, enlivening people when they have little energy isn’t an easy task.

Ternary is an adjective that means ‘composed of three parts.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ternarius (tear NAR ee oos) which means ‘three at once.’ From the very beginning, the company’s focus was ternary, with one part dedicated to marketing, and the other two related to manufacturing and delivery.

Imperturbable is an adjective that means unable to be upset or excited. The Latin word pertubare (per too BAR ay) means to disturb, and it was later  the origin of ‘perturb.’  Our word of the day may refer to someone who cannot be disturbed or upset. For example, Eric had such an imperturbable demeanor that even the sight of his favorite team losing in overtime didn’t seem to bother him....

Demode is an adjective that means out of fashion. Our word of the day comes directly from the French verb demoder (dee mu DER) which means ‘go out of fashion.’ I had no idea my clothes were so out of fashion until I heard my kids laughing at the dinner table. At first I thought my jokes had finally amused them, but then I realized they were actually laughing at my demode jean jacket.

Excogitate is a verb that means to think out or plan. The Latin word cogitare (coe gee TAR ay) meaning ‘to think,’ has given birth to a number of English words such as cognition, recognize and cognitive. Our word of the day is a less commonly used synonym of devise. Here’s an example of it use: Our coach was great at preparing us for our games every week, but as we all learned, it wasn’t enough to...

inspirit is a verb that means ‘to encourage’ or ‘enliven someone.’ The Latin word spiritus (SPEAR ee toos) means ‘breath or spirit.’ To inspirit someone is to breathe life or spirit into them. It’s always a big challenge to inspirit my co-workers at the office with a big pep talk on  a slow Monday. But let’s face it, enlivening people when they have little energy isn’t an easy task.

Ternary is an adjective that means ‘composed of three parts.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ternarius (tear NAR ee oos) which means ‘three at once.’ From the very beginning, the company’s focus was ternary, with one part dedicated to marketing, and the other two related to manufacturing and delivery.

Imperturbable is an adjective that means unable to be upset or excited. The Latin word pertubare (per too BAR ay) means to disturb, and it was later  the origin of ‘perturb.’  Our word of the day may refer to someone who cannot be disturbed or upset. For example, Eric had such an imperturbable demeanor that even the sight of his favorite team losing in overtime didn’t seem to bother him....

Sympatric is an adjective that means occurring in the same place. Our word of the day combines the Greek word patra (PAT ra) for ‘father’ and the prefix SYM which means ‘with together.’ Here’s an example of sympatric in use: The sympatric grouping of our pets seemed like a good idea at the time. But after a while we realized having two dogs and three cats all in our small home wasn’t exactly a rec...

Felix culpa is a noun that refers to an error that brings fortunate consequences. Our word of the day combines two Latin words. Felix, which means ‘happy,’ and ‘culpa,’ which means ‘fault.’ A Felix culpa could be thought of as a happy accident. My trip getting cancelled ten years ago could have been seen as a Felix culpa. After all, because I missed my trip, I was able to meet the wonderful woman...

Immanent is an adjective that means existing within or inherent. The Latin word manere (mah NAIR ay) means remain. By adding the prefix I-N (which means ‘in’) we get a word that means ‘remaining in.’ Here’s an example: Bad jokes are an immanent part of my line of work. If you hire a lawyer, you’re really hiring a failed stand-up comedian.

Sinology is a noun that refers to the study of Chinese language, history and politics. In Arabic, the word sin (SIN) means ‘China.’ Our word of the day is usually used in an academic sense, but can be used more casually as in this example: I’ve always been fascinated with China’s culture. Even as a kid, I was obsessed with sinology.

Analeptic is an adjective that means restorative or stimulating. The Greek word analeptikos (ann el EP tea cose) means ‘restorative.’ Our word of the day retained this meaning when it joined the English language in the late 16th century. Here’s an example: When I suffered from my cold last week, I found that tea had analeptic powers. After a nice brisk cup or two, I was feeling much better.

Exclave is a noun that refers to a portion of a territory surrounded by other territories. The Latin word clavis (KLAV is) means ‘key.’ It provides the origin of the word enclave which refers to an environment that differs from that which surrounds it. The differences between an enclave and an exclave is that an exclave is geographically separated from its surroundings. Spending a summer on that e...

Ritz is a noun that refers to luxury and glamour. An early 20th hotel owner named Cesar Ritz provides the basis of our word of the day. It now refers to any kind of show of luxury. Personally, I like to keep things simple when it comes to my clothes. For example, having any more than three ruffles on my pajama top is too much ritz for me.

Baedeker is a noun that refers to a travel guidebook. Our word of the day was named after a German publisher who is remembered for a series of guidebooks. Today we use his name to refer to such books — especially those used for travel. Following the Baedeker while in New York is not always such a good idea. When I found myself looking for the Statue of Liberty across the street from Central Park,...

Galahad is a noun that refers to a person characterized by nobility and integrity. According to legend, Sir Galahad was the noblest of king Author’s knights. Today we use this name to refer to someone characterized by nobility and integrity. Opening the door for an older lady often makes me feel like a Galahad. But it doesn’t usually feel so great when I can’t find my keys to open it.

Sclerotic is an adjective that means rigid or unresponsive. Our word of the day comes from the Greek word skleros (SLARE ose) which means ‘hard.’ You could think of the state of being sclerotic similar to something being hard or rigid. Here’s an example of sclerotic in use: After running the marathon, my legs felt sclerotic for weeks. Running or even walking was a difficult task.